Band:	Playgrounded
Album:	The Death Of Death
Style:	Progressive post-metal
Release date:	March 2022

01. The Swan
02. Rituals
03. The Death Of Death
04. Tomorrow's Rainbow
05. A Road Out Of The Flood
06. Our Fire

By this point, being on Pelagic Records is about the closest thing there is in metal to a guarantee of quality.

Since the label was established, they have made it their philosophy to value quality over quantity and release only a small number of great albums per year, and as far as I’m concerned, they very much succeed at this. A lot of the best albums in the sludge, progressive and/or post-metal genres (given the close ties of the label to The Ocean, it’s unsurprising that these styles are overrepresented in their roster) of the past few years, including the most recent efforts from LLNN, Year Of No Light, Psychonaut, Hippotraktor and more, have been distributed by Pelagic Records. The latest gem I’ve encountered that comes from the label is The Death Of Death, the sophomore record of Greek 5-piece Playgrounded.

The Death Of Death could perhaps be placed in the same category of ‘progressive post-metal’ that The Ocean and several other bands associated with Pelagic Records fall into; however, it’s not quite as applicable to Playgrounded. Although there are definite post-metal dynamics found here, the record feels closer to progressive metal, or at times perhaps more so progressive rock, with its complex rhythms and mellow mood. Another element of The Death Of Death that makes a strong impression is the group’s use of electronics; featuring a keyboardist in their line-up before they even had a drummer, Playgrounded place a significant emphasis on synthesizers across this record, serving as a backdrop, percussive pulsation or more leading hook as needed. As such, in addition to The Ocean (particularly their most recent album, Phanerozoic II, during closing track “Our Fire”), I also find myself reminded of fellow Pelagic Records recruit Crown’s recent electronic venture, The End Of All Things. Further bands that came to mind during playthroughs of The Death Of Death include Riverside and electronic side-project Lunatic Soul, as well as the likes of Blindead, Wolverine and Pure Reason Revolution, among others.

The album has starts off on a relatively understated note; “The Swan” is a solid exhibition of how Playgrounded sound with their integration of electronics, prog and post-metal, as well as how emotionally resonant their vocalist Stavros Markonis is, but it’s been the track that’s made the least impression on me during playthroughs. “Rituals”, on the other hand, really ignites the record; the rumbling throb of the synths, slick drumming and tender singing grab your attention early on, and as the guitars and percussion elaborate and intensify, its insidious charm pull you right in. “Tomorrow’s Rainbow” has a more overt melodicism and hookiness to its memorable chorus, as well as a rousing energy when it eventually kicks into its main groove (which I found myself air-drumming to every time it arrived), while also retaining the same moodiness of “Rituals”. “Our Fire” is the other song that really stands out to me on the record; featuring some heavy, groovy yet elaborate prog-metal riffs, a captivating ebb and flow and really alluring layering of electronics, when it temporarily pulls back before throwing itself into its climactic chorus, the overwhelming swell of sound building around the song’s main vocal refrain leaves behind a sense of awe when it dissipates.

This album won me over pretty much instantly and continues to leave me gleefully grinning every time its standout moments come around. Each component of the band delivers in spades; the electronics work so well alongside the metallic portion of the band, the vocals are subdued but potent, and the drums make a strong impact every time they slip into a major rhythm. Playgrounded are really onto something great here, with a sound that feels familiar yet distinct, and which translates into an array of lush and captivating songs.